The Seeking of the Nerd
Jennifer, Candy, Lena, and Charlie seek out Marky Croner, a known alien enthusiast. Transcript (The day after the fight, the four are navigating the streets looking for Marky's house.) Candy: If the Mimosa Prep grapevine is correct, Marky's place is right... (They stop.) Here! Charlie: Let's just hope he's home. Jennifer: (She knocks on the door and a woman - presumably Marky's mother - answers.) Hi. I'm Jennifer Storks, and this is Charlie Tasker, Candy Cameron, and Lena Fayton. We go to school with Marky, and we wanted to talk to him. Mrs. Croner: He's out back. Jennifer: Can we come in? Mrs. Croner: Sure. (The girls go through the house and out to the backyard, where a boy of about eight is tinkering with a machine.) Jennifer: Hey, Marky. Whatcha working on? Marky: (He looks up from the machine and sees them.) Oh. Hey. I'm working on a machine to contact alien life. Candy: Cool! Does it work? Marky: Well... Not yet... But it will. Jennifer: Marky, listen: We came to ask for some help. Marky: What's the problem? Is it an Invasion of the Body Snatchers situation? Jennifer: No. It's a... Weird situation. See, we found these stone things underground, and... To keep it short, we're hearing voices that claim to come from a distant planet. Frankly, I think it's just mental stuff. Marky: Lemme try a scan. (He leads the girls into a shed with a keypad. After he punches in the code, everyone boards an elevator that starts going down. Soon, they reach a large room with a large computer, a fish tank full of eggs, and a chair that looks fairly like a dentist's chair.) Okay, who wants to go? I'll only need one. Jennifer: I'll go. Marky: Excellent! C'mon. (He motions for Jennifer to sit in the chair, then hooks electrodes to her head.) Now, just relax. (Jennifer's brainwaves appear on a computer, which Marky watches intently. He looks confused before unplugging Jennifer's electrodes and turning to Charlie, Lena, and Candy.) Marky: There's definitely some unusual brain activity. Jennifer: Does that mean... Marky: Yep. Charlie: Cool? Lena: Strange... Candy: What are we talking about? Charlie: I'll tell you later. Candy: Okay. Jennifer: C'mon, girls. Let's go. (She leads her friends out of the lab, back across the yard, and into the house. After thanking Mrs. Croner, they leave the house and go on their way to Jennifer's.) So, what should we do? Candy: Huh? Charlie: She means what do we use this... Ability for? Lena: I believe they could be either beneficial or harmful to others. Possibly even to us. Candy: (She shudders.) You mean this could hurt us?! Lena: Possibly, but I'm unsure. Charlie: Well, I say we help. We've already done it once. Candy: Charlie's right. I wouldn't want evil on my conscience. Charlie: No one would, Cee. Jennifer: Well, do you think we need a name? Lena: Why? Charlie: Jenny's got a point; a name might help us come together more. Not just as friends, but as a team. Candy: I agree. (They reach Jennifer's and, after navigating their way through her many siblings, reach her bedroom, where they can speak in peace.) Charlie: So what should our name be? Lena: The Sisterhood? (Charlie frowns and taps the side of her head.) Jennifer: The Interplanetary Society? Charlie: (She grins.) I like it. Candy: Yeah! Lena: I wholeheartedly agree. Jennifer: All right, then!